Essex head to Upminster for their annual benefit match on Sunday, having booked their place at the Vitality Blast T20 finals day in superb style in midweek.

Having beaten Kent by 10 runs in their final group match last Friday to sneak into the quarter-finals they beat Lancashire Lightning by six wickets at Durham on Wednesday.

And Upminster are hoping for another entertaining contest in the long-standing fixture, which starts at 3pm.

Paul Middlemiss said: "We're hoping it will be another great day. It will be the 21st time we've hosted one of these matches and it is still a special occasion for the club.

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"The format has changed over the years and we now have a lot more involvement from our junior and women's sides, but the Upminster public always come out in force to support the day,

"It has been a tough season on the pitch for the ones and twos, but it is always a special way to finish the season. We normally, touch wood, get the good weather!

"We have a couple of youngsters playing in the Upminster side as always but we have also selected guys like Mike Larke and Rob Mack to reward them for the tremendous amount of work they have done for the club this year.

"I'd like to thank Dan Feist, Kelly Castle, Arfan Akram and Nick Browne at Essex for everything they do with us to make the day possible."

The Essex XI was still to be confirmed as the Recorder went to press this week.

Warwickshire advanced to the brink of Division One safety after Essex were forced into a dogged rearguard action on the third day of their Specsavers County Championship Division One tussle at Edgbaston.